What my 4 Year Old Should Know for Kindergarten

The list below is what a preschooler should know at the end of the school year for kindergarten. Each child is different and learns at different paces. This is a guideline...a goal of where we want to be. Knowing this goal with help us with the baby steps in our curriculum to get them there. Also I can take a look at this list and tell what areas I need to focus on for my own two boys. I know that with the both of them I am faced with issues in attention span, following directions, manners and being clean when they eat and my youngest with social skills. I read an article that reading to your children actually helps in all these areas. This is what I found out: "That the single biggest predictor of high academic achievement and high ACT scores is reading to children. Not flash cards, not workbooks, not fancy preschools, not blinking toys or computers, but mom or dad taking the time every day or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books. "Reading to your child develops listening skills and attention span. Projects like putting together puzzles, stringing beads, and cutting construction paper all develop fine motor skills and attention span.  But actually children don’t need academic knowledge before they start school - they really need listening skills, a good attention span, and fine motor skills."  So there we go...read read read =D

Here is the list:

at the end of preschool a child will... 

Memory verses and songs that they can recall when prompted

Know the name of each letter in the alphabet-lowercase and uppercase

know the phonetic sound of all the letters

be able to correctly write lower and uppercase letters of the alphabet

Know by name and be able to correctly write the numbers 1-25

Identify shapes (including hexagon and octagon) and colors and to spell yellow, red, blue, white, black,brown,  pink and purple

Be able to demonstrate spatial concepts, sorting, sequencing and patterns

Hold a pencil correctly, cut on a line and to balance hopping on one foot for about 10 hops (this part cracks me up)

be able to write both their first and last name using Capital letter for the first letter of the name

Be able to say their full name, address and phone number 

know how to properly use question marks and explanation points

know about basic safety with strangers, about their body, fire safety and how to call 911

Be introduced to many books

Be able to be clean when eating meals 

Can follow multi-step directions and understand explanations given for things they see

Understand taller, smaller and shorter and arrange things from smallest to biggest

Draw a person with a head, body, legs and arms

 Social skills include taking turns, sharing, praising and thanking others, treating others with respect and kindness, listening to others, conversing with others, showing interest in others, following directions, exercising patience and tolerance, resolving conflicts, and resisting negative peer pressure.